UW-Stevens Point CNR Fall 2012 Newsletter .pdf - University of ...

Inside this issue 

• Dean’s Desk 

• Wood-Mizer donation 

• Emerald ash borer 

management tool created 

• Dombeck coauthors book 

• Wisconsin River water 

quality project 

• CWES benefits from funding 

• Treehaven Campus to host 

snowshoe race 

• News bits 

• Student spotlight 

• 2012 Distinguished Alumnus 

• Alumni updates 

• In Memory 

• BOW BAJA trip 

• New gifts and support 

www.uwsp.edu/cnr 

facebook.com/UWSPCNR 

Alumnus fulfills lifelong dream 

Avid fisherman and 

outdoor enthusiast, 

Jeremiah Heitke (BS 

Water Resources - 

Fisheries and Limnology 

’98) brought his lifelong 

dream of producing a 

fly fishing documentary 

to fruition this past 

summer with the release 

of his film Two Brothers 

Fly Fishing. The film 

focuses on Jeremiah and, 

his brother, Dustin’s fly 

fishing expeditions over 

the course of a year. 

The brothers traveled 

around Wisconsin, Utah, 

Montana, and all the way 

to Belize. 

Fall 2012 

Jeremiah and Dustin Heitke with a rainbow trout. 

Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Heitke 

Heitke grew up surrounded by a family passionate about the outdoors in 

Clinton, Wis. He was hooked on fishing at an early age and learned the art 

of fly fishing at thirteen. Following his love for the outdoors, he completed 

his bachelors in fisheries and limnology at UW-Stevens Point in 1998 and his 

masters in stream ecology at Iowa State University in 2002. Heitke continued 

working for Iowa State University as a stream research associate until 2003 when 

he began working for the U.S. Forest Service in Logan, Utah. Moving his way 

up the ranks of the U.S. Forest Service, he was soon looking to bring his dream 

of producing a documentary style fly fishing film to reality. Working with his 

brother Dustin, they began to put Jeremiah’s plan into action. Together they 

created a business proposal, purchased camera equipment, and planned fishing 

trips during their time off from their regular jobs. Once filming officially began, 

it became quickly evident that utilizing camera equipment in nature poses many 

challenges. On two separate occasions water mishaps occurred, resulting in the 

loss of $6,000 worth of camera equipment. Despite these setbacks, they were 

able to complete the filming within the year. To their unexpected surprise, on the 

last day of the fishing season they each landed the biggest brown trout of their 

lives, weighing just under twenty pounds and three feet in length. 

With the completion of filming behind them and no prior experience in film 

editing or production, Jeremiah dove headfirst into the most challenging part of 

his dream. Learning new software programs, film editing techniques, negotiating 

terms for the legal use of music, and marketing were no easy task, but patience 

and perseverance were on Heitke’s side. (Continued on page 10)

CNR News 

From the Dean’s Desk ... 

by Christine Thomas 

Dean Thomas with (left) Rowan Gould, Deputy Director, USFWS and (right) Jerome 

Ford, Assistant Director for Migratory Birds, USFWS. 

Photo courtesy of Garry Tucker, United States Fish and Wildlife Service 

This past year, I had the chance to be part of 

an historic conservation event. In 2011, I was 

an alternate judge in the Federal Duck Stamp 

competition. This fall, I got to leave my training 

wheels behind and fly as a “real” judge. The 

event was held in Ogden, Utah, the last weekend 

in September. There were five judges, spanning a 

variety of expertise. You can only be a judge at this 

event once. This program is a wonderful melding of 

art and science. The winning painting, chosen from 

192 entries, was a stunning common goldeneye by 

Robert Steiner of San Francisco, Calif. 

This event, which began in 1934, has identified the 

artwork that graces the Migratory Bird Hunting 

and Conservation Stamp. CNR alums all over the 

country will know duck stamps for many reasons. 

You may have purchased one for hunting migratory 

waterfowl. You may have won a framed print of 

stamp art at a conservation banquet. You may have 

duck stamps in your stamp collection. Perhaps 

the best part is that many of you manage spectacular properties, made even more wonderful, by the addition of the 6 

million acres of waterfowl habitat that has been preserved on the landscape in the 80 years of the stamp program. 

In a time of great austerity and conservation challenges (Great Depression and Dust Bowl), our community came 

together and taxed ourselves and our activities to create a wildlife legacy for the future. The Federal Duck Stamp is 

but one example of that. This legacy continues today and every citizen of the world benefits from the conservation 

efforts that come from the proceeds. Just as every citizen of the world benefits from the many ways that CNR alums 

contribute to a sustainable future. 

Many thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Duck Stamp program group for affording me the 

honor of participating in something so special. Thank you also to all of you for using the proceeds wisely to benefit all 

of us. I hope your fall has been filled with music of the waterfowl migration, the art of nature’s autumn canvas. 

Wood-Mizer sawmill donation 

Marv Kramer (BS Biology 62’) of Waupaca recently donated 

a Wood-Mizer sawmill to the college, which is already being 

incorporated into the forestry curriculum, including the college’s 

Wood Products Manufacturing course. Kramer and his wife, Sandy, 

are avid conservationists and longtime benefactors of the college. 

Marv, a Korean War veteran, completed his degree at UW-Stevens 

Point and attended graduate school at UW-Madison. After working 

for three years as a field biologist for USDA and then as a science 

teacher in Monona Grove, he embarked on a long career in real 

estate development and sales. He retired in 1996 as CEO and 

chairman of Friendship Manor Homes, Inc. An avid hunter and 

fisher, he has been a member of Waupaca Conservation League, 

Whitetails Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Safari 

Club International. 

2 

Marv Kramer and his dog Wylie with the donated Wood-Mizer. 

Photo courtesy of Steve Menzel


Emerald Ash Borer management tool created 

City foresters and arborists have a new tool to assist in management 

decisions related to the increasing presence of the invasive Emerald ash 

borer. Rich Hauer (BS Forestry ‘92), associate professor of forestry, and 

Andrew VanNatta (BS Forestry ‘10), designed the Emerald Ash Borer 

(EAB) Planning Simulator to estimate the cost of managing ash trees over 

a 20 year span of an emerald ash borer infestation. 

Emerald ash borer larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting 

the trees ability to transport water and nutrients. The ash trees are 

generally killed within two to four years of the initial infestation. Since 

the invasive insects discovery in Michigan in 2002, they have claimed 

the lives of tens of millions of trees. Wisconsin ash trees have no known 

natural defense against these pests leading to the creation of various 

management options. 

The EAB Planning Simulator was designed based on ash forests on the 

UW-Stevens Point campus. Hauer and his students combined basic 

information about the campus forests, using tree evaluation software 

programs from the U.S. Forest Service and the Council of Tree Landscape 

Appraisers. The model estimates the cost of managing the ash trees in 

four different ways: preemptive removal of all ash trees in the first five 

years of an infestation, removal and replanting with a different species, 

treatment with insecticides, and no action. Planners are able to see what 

the best option for their communities are, based on the management 

options that they are pursuing. 

Dombeck coauthors handbook for streamside owners 

Rich Hauer designed an emerald ash borer management tool. 

Photo courtesy of Stacey Bannach 

You can download the EAB model at http://cnrfiles.uwsp.edu/hauer/EAB-PLANSVersionBeta.xlsx. 

Mike Dombeck (BS Biology ‘74), professor of global conservation, 

coauthored My Healthy Stream with Jack Williams, Trout Unlimited 

senior scientist, and Chris Wood, president and chief executive 

officer of Trout Unlimited. Produced as a partnership between 

Trout Unlimited and the Aldo Leopold Foundation, this handbook 

aims to provide people who own property bordering streams and 

rivers with information on caring for those waterways. 

Mike Dombeck oversaw the two largest federal land management 

agencies in the United States as chief of the U.S. Forest Service 

and director of the Bureau of Land Management. After retiring 

from the U.S. Forest Service, he became a UW-System Fellow and 

Professor of Global Conservation at the University of Wisconsin- 

Stevens Point. He has served on the board of directors of many 

conservation groups, including the Aldo Leopold Foundation and 

Trout Unlimited. Dombeck currently resides along the Wisconsin 

River. 

The book may be purchased through the Aldo Leopold Foundation 

www.aldoleopold.org/books/. 

3


Wisconsin River water quality monitoring and improvement effort 

James Brodzeller, watershed research project assistant, collects water from 

the Wisconsin River for testing. 

Photo courtesy of the Center for Watershed Science and Education 

The UW-Stevens Point Center for Watershed Science and 

Education, and citizens and staff in Adams County, with the 

assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 

and the Army Corps of Engineers, are spearheading a nutrient 

pollution monitoring effort on the Wisconsin River between 

Tomahawk and Lake Wisconsin. 

The Wisconsin River flows through many communities and 

backyards on its 430 mile course to the Mississippi River. It 

begins its journey in Lac Vieux Desert through a forested and 

undeveloped landscape, as it continues south the dominant 

land use shifts from forest to agriculture. The increase in 

agricultural land use brings with it municipal and industrial 

storm water and wastewater discharges, and phosphorous 

rich soil runoff. The phosphorous, an element essential for 

algal and aquatic plant growth, accumulates downstream 

causing blue-green algae blooms in a number of reservoirs. 

The Petenwell and Castle Rock flowages, located in the 

monitoring area, are the second and fifth largest reservoirs in 

Wisconsin. These reservoirs have been experiencing excessive blue-green algae blooms, limiting the recreational 

use of the waterways and causing a public health concern. The Department of Health services has documented 

numerous cases of exposure to blue-green algae resulting in respiratory ailments, rashes, and on rare occasions 

death. The information collected during the monitoring effort will help determine where land management efforts 

and funding can be targeted to aid in decreasing the nutrient levels in the waterways that cause blue-green algae 

blooms. 

A symposium is held each year providing an opportunity for citizens, representatives from municipalities, 

industry, stewardship groups, agencies, educators, agricultural producers, and legislators to learn about the 

monitoring effort, define what the Wisconsin River means to communities along its banks, and show what is 

currently being done to protect or improve conditions in the river and its tributaries. This year’s symposium 

Hearing the River, Hearing Each Other, will be held on the UW-Stevens Point campus on March 28, 2013. 

Learn more about the Wisconsin River Water Quality Improvement project and register for this year’s symposium 

at www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/watershed/Pages/ImproveProject.aspx 

4 

Petenwell flowage boat landing covered with algae. 

Photo courtesy of the Center for Watershed Science and Education


CWES benefits from funding awarded to the UW-Stevens Point Foundation 

Linda Gruber joined the Central Wisconsin Environmental 

Station (CWES) this summer to assist in the coordination 

of a new summer camp focused after school program for 

upper-elementary school students in the Amherst, Rosholt, 

and Iola school districts as well as the Portage County 

Boys and Girls Clubs. The after-school activities include 

programs on pond study, fishing, stars and stories, survival 

skills, critters at camp, crafts, and campfire songs and skits. 

Students who attend a majority of the monthly activities 

will be eligible to apply for partial scholarships for a week 

of CWES summer camp in 2013. Scholarship recipients will 

be announced in the spring. 

A student from the Plover Boys and Girls Club shows the 

aquatic insect she collected. 

Photo courtesy of Linda Gruber 

Gruber’s position 

and these 

programs are 

possible in part 

because of a 

grant from the 

Students from Jefferson Elementary School search for aquatic insects. 

Photo courtesy of Linda Gruber 

Margaret A. Cargill Foundation. The UW-Stevens Point Foundation was 

awarded the three-year grant totaling $225,000 to increase the number of 

children attending CWES summer camps and supporting the training of 

future educators and camp leaders. The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation 

supports environmental education, including camping programs that allow 

young people to interact with nature and develop a sense of environmental 

stewardship. 

Located in Amherst Junction on the shore of Sunset Lake, CWES hosts an 

average of 7,500 people each year for summer camps, school programs, 

youth and adult team building and leadership skills programs, youth 

retreats, church gatherings, family reunions, and other events. 

Learn more about CWES at www.uwsp.edu/cwes. 

Treehaven to host second annual snowshoe race 

The “Treehaven Tromp,” a 5k and 10k snowshoe fun run and race, will be held February 9, 

2013, at Treehaven in Tomahawk, Wis. 

The snowshoe race is part of the Braveheart Snowshoe Racing Series and a 2012-2013 United 

States Snowshoe Association Regional Qualifying Event. A free chili lunch will be provided 

to all participants and race t-shirts will be available for purchase. 

For registration information, visit www.uwsp.edu/treehaven. 

5


News bits 

Dennis Yockers, Wisconsin’s Project WILD 

Facilitator of the Year. 

New Faculty and Staff 

• Rebecca Franzen- Assistant Professor of HDNR 

• Audrey Gaedtke - Treehaven Campus Office Manager 

• Linda Gruber - Educator at CWES 

• Kendra Liddicoat - Assistant Professor of HDNR 

6 

Yockers named Wisconsin’s Project WILD Facilitator of the Year 

Dennis Yockers, retired professor of human dimensions of natural resource 

management, was named the 2012 Wisconsin Project WILD Facilitator of the 

Year. Project WILD is a wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12 

educators and their students. Yockers was Wisconsin’s first state coordinator. With 

help from an assistant he conducted over fifty workshops the first year. Yockers 

continued his commitment to Project WILD through his entire career. 

Schmeeckle Reserve has record turnout at Candlelight Hike 

Festival 

Schmeeckle Reserve’s Candlelight Hike Festival continues to attract growing 

numbers of community members and students. More than 900 people joined the 

fall celebration on November 2, which featured the nighttime sky. The festival 

includes trails lit by jack-o’-lanterns, discovery stations, crafts, and a character 

interpretation program presented by students in the Environmental Education/ 

Interpretation Practicum. 

Navigating Environmental Attitudes: Lessons from Wolves 

In an effort to better understand environmental attitudes, Tom Heberlein, 

professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a 

visiting professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 

discussed his studies of attitudes toward wolves in the Midwest and in 

Sweden on Wednesday, November 7, at 5 p.m. in the Laird Room of the 

Dreyfus University Center. Heberlein shared how attitudes have been 

responsible for the stunning success of wolf restoration and identified the 

possibilities for a negative shift in attitudes toward wolves in the future. 

Hansen receives AFS 2011 best paper 

Michael Hansen, professor of fisheries and commissioner, was honored 

with the best paper for 2011 in the North American Journal of Fisheries 

Management from the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Hansen received the award at the annual AFS meeting 

in August. The paper is titled Natural mortality in relation to age and fishing mortality on walleyes in Escanaba Lake, 

Wisconsin, during 1956-2009. 

• Ron Masters - Assoc. Professor of Wildlife Fire Science 

• Kristy Seblonka - University Associate in CLUE 

• Jake Smith - Budget and Finance Specialist 

A complete list of all CNR faculty and staff can be found at www.uwsp.edu/cnr/pages/facultyDirectory


Student spotlight - Brandy Anderson 

Brandy Anderson is a senior majoring in wildlife ecology with 

a minor in captive wildlife management. She is originally from 

Rockford, Ill. but moved to Milwaukee, Wis. during high school. 

She loves the challenge of new experiences and is definitely 

getting her fill, on campus and across the nation. She is involved 

with the following student groups on campus: Herpetology 

Society, Animal Behavior Club, Save the Frogs, Minorities in 

Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, and the 

Wildlife Society. 

Anderson has participated in the Field Biology of the Pacific 

Coast and Great Basin trip, New York City Neighborhoods 

Geography trip, and will be participating in a trip to South Africa 

with Eric Anderson, wildlife professor, in January. 

She shared some of her experiences at UW-Stevens Point and her 

future plans with us. 

What brought you to UW-Stevens Point? 

“I originally had an interest in TV production, starting out 

at Brown College and then switching to Milwaukee Area 

Technical College. I soon realized my lifelong love of animals 

and heard about UW-Stevens Point from a friend. I was really 

interested in all of the different student organizations but the clincher was the fact that there was a Herpetology 

Society.” 

Brandy Anderson worked with ring tailed lemurs at the 

Tanganyika Wildilfe Park. 

Photo courtesy of Brandy Anderson 

Wildlife ecology major Brandy Anderson holds a turtle. 

Photo courtesy of Brandy Anderson 

What was your favorite UW-Stevens Point moment? 

“I have enjoyed all of the traveling experiences and getting to know 

new people. I also participated in an internship last summer at 

Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, Kan. I had the opportunity to 

work with all aspects of the zoo but my favorite part was working 

with the ambassador animals. I walked the ambassador animals 

around the park sharing information with guests and giving them an 

opportunity to interact with each of the animals.” 

What are your plans after graduation? 

“I want to work in an interactive zoo or wildlife park, a place where 

I get to work with the daily care of the captive wildlife but also get 

to ambassador some of the animals around or give behind the scenes 

tours. I believe the more the public knows and interacts with an 

animal the more open they are to conservation.” 

7


Alumni updates 

Chancellor Patterson presented the 2012 UW-Stevens Point Distinguished Alumnus 

Award to Paul DeLong. 

Photo courtesy of Doug Moore 

Jacob Becken receives “Newcomer of the 

Year” award. 

Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Wastewater Operators 

Association, Inc. 

Jacob Becken (BS Soil 

and Waste Resources 

‘12) was awarded the 

Wisconsin Wastewater 

Operators Association 

“Newcomer of the Year” 

award because of his 

exceptional enthusiasm 

and willingness to learn. 

Becken currently works 

for the Green Bay Metro 

Sewerage District. 

Mark Mueller (BS 

Resource Management 

‘66) Spooner, Wis. is the founder, president and chief 

technology officer of Botanic Innovations, LLC., and 

Curieum Healthcare Holdings, Inc. companies. The 

company produces and sells high valued botanical 

ingredients for use in skin care and wellness products. 

Their company is developing an immunotherapy cancer 

drug which is currently being tested in a human clinical 

trial at the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer 

Center. Mark and others in the company have been 

awarded a patent from the U.S. Patent Office for the 

smart drug which targets tumors and enables the bodies 

immune system to eradicate cancer. The safe and non 

toxic drug is in the vanguard of new approaches to super 

charge the bodies immune system to fight cancer. 

Louise Venne (BS Wildlife ‘03) Gainesville, Fla. 

8 

UW-Stevens Point Distinguished Alumnus 

Paul DeLong (BS Forest Administration ‘85) is the first 

UW-Stevens Point alumnus to head the Wisconsin 

Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, 

a position he has held since 2003. Many fellow alumni 

are members of his team, which he says is a result 

of their applied training and experience rather than 

deliberate selection. 

Among his accomplishments is certifying more than 

five million acres of forestland and working with 

countless partners to protect and sustain the state’s 

forests. He also returns to his alma mater from time 

to time to share his expertise as a member of the CNR 

Forestry Advisory Committee. You can learn more 

about DeLong on the UW-Stevens Point YouTube 

Channel www.youtube.com/user/UWStevensPoint. 

successfully completed her PhD at the University of 

Florida Department of Wildlife 

Ecology and Conservation. Her 

research focused on how wading 

birds respond to prescribed fires 

in 

the Everglades. 

Frank Thomas (BS Natural 

Resources ‘67), Detroit Lakes, 

Minn., retired on June 30 after 

teaching in the Minnesota 

Detroit Lakes Independent 

School District since September 

Louise Venne 

Photo courtesy of Louise Venne 

of 1976. The late Dr. Wievel had a great impact on his 

career, telling Thomas’ class not to be picky on their 

first employment. Thomas’ first employment was with 

the U.S. Army. With Weivel’s advice fresh in his mind, 

when asked where he would like to be stationed he 

listed anywhere. The sergeant in charge thought he was 

kidding and put him down for Germany because of his 

German language experience in high school. In May 1968 

he reported to Massweiler, Germany, as a radio teletype 

operator. 

Dave Neu (BS Wildlife Ecology ‘84) Madison, 

Wis., became the program director for the Leopold 

Conservation Award-Sand County Foundation in 

January. Neu previously worked for the WDNR, the 

National Wild Turkey Federation, and the 

Minnesota DNR. 

We love to hear what our alumni have been up to! 

Share your stories with us via email at cnr@uwsp.edu.


In Memory 

Allan Skinner (BS Conservation ‘59) passed away on 

September 29, 2012. Allan was born on August 16, 1936, 

near Suring, Wis. to Russell and Helen Skinner and was 

raised in Oregon, Wis. 

Skinner began a federal career shortly after his 

graduation from UW-Stevens Point. He was recently 

presented with a certificate for 50 years of federal 

service, 38 of which have been with the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers (USACE) Alaska District. He spent time 

working as a park ranger for the National Park Service 

in several places, including Theodore Roosevelt National 

Park, Yellowstone National Park, Lake Mead National 

Recreation Area, and Death Valley. He also worked as a 

USACE park ranger in California and Indiana. 

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and trapping in earlier 

years, and telling stories of such in his later years. He 

liked listening to classic country music, telling stories, 

road trips, reading publications from all across the states, 

listening to weekend and nightly radio programs, and 

being with friends. Allan most enjoyed sharing stories 

amongst his friends. 

Mariah Peterson 

Photo courtesy of Nancy Peterson 

Allan Skinner receives a certificate for 50 years of federal service. 

Photo by Curt Biberdorf 

Mariah Peterson (BS Water Resources ‘81) passed away on November 5, 

2011. She loved sports, nature, and the outdoors. She led a life filled with 

travel and adventure working on sea lamprey research in Michigan’s 

upper peninsula, doing salmon research on Kodiak Island in Alaska, 

touring Peru, back country skiing, mountain biking, and wilderness 

canoeing, just to name a few. 

After graduating from UW-Stevens Point, Anderson completed a master’s 

in fish biology and human anatomy from Mon. State University in 1984 

in Bozeman, Montana. Mariah loved living in Montana because of the 

numerous opportunities to hike, bike, canoe, fish, kayak, and ski. After 

an injury to her back she found that chiropractic methods and T’ai Chi 

helped ease the pain and this started her on the path of healing and being 

a healer. She gained status as a T’ai Chi master, winning competitions, 

and ran her own Shen Yi School of T’ai Chi in Portland for several years. 

She also taught and did research at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. 

Her continued desire to be a healer brought her to complete a master’s in 

physical therapy at the University of Montana in Missoula. She continued 

to practice physical therapy in Minocqua and Appleton until she moved to 

Seneca Falls, N.Y., to pursue a master’s degree in acupuncture. 

9


BOW trip to the Sea of Cortez and Mexico’s Baja Peninsula 

BOW participant with a sea lion at Los Islotes. 

Photo courtesy of Becoming an Outdoors Woman 

Alumnus fulfills lifelong dream (continued from cover page) 

Six months into the editing phase, a hard drive crash caused all of his hard work to 

disappear in a matter of minutes. This was a disappointing stumbling block, but one 

that was small in comparison to the process of negotiating the licenses for the music. 

After a year and a half of continual contact with the various music agencies, his efforts 

paid off with a sound track including songs by Wilco, Cake, G Love & Special Sauce, 

Ziggy Marley, and Third World. 

The completed film was better than they envisioned. Looking to bring something 

different to the world of fly fishing documentaries, they focused their efforts on 

minimizing dialogue and allowed the footage to speak for itself. The film highlights 

numerous species including bonefish, tarpon, kokanee salmon, and a 4 ½ foot sturgeon. 

Two Brothers Fly Fishing is now available on Amazon. 

Heitke currently works as the lead fish biologist with a consulting firm in Boise, Idaho, 

and looks forward to producing future films under his fly fishing media company, 

Heron Fly Fishing. 

10 

The Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program is headed 

to the Sea of Cortez and Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. This trip is part 

of a series of specialty events to unique ecosystems called “BOW 

Destinations.” 

The Baja BOW is designed for women of all ages, experience 

levels, and backgrounds. The all-inclusive trip (excludes airfare) 

offers 8 sun-filled days and 7 starry nights of outdoor experiences 

for $2,250. The adventure begins with a stay at La Duna Eco- 

Farm where participants will learn about the desert community 

surrounded by mountains. 

After the ranch stay and whale watching at Magdalena Bay, the 

group will travel to an island camp, Isla Partida, which has been 

has been designated a World Heritage Site – a world class natural 

park. Activities for the next 4 days include hiking, snorkeling, and 

kayaking. 

During the program, participants will become comfortable with 

snorkeling and kayaking through personalized instruction, 

proper gear fitting, and education about the surrounding 

environment. This will prepare the group for the highlight of the 

trip – snorkeling with a colony of 400 wild sea lions at Los Islotes. 

Participants will be treated to a 5 star camp. Each tent is equipped with two comfortable cots, sleeping bags, linens, bath 

towels, and a night stand. Other amenities include: flush toilets, solar showers with private stalls, beach lounge chairs 

and umbrellas, purified water, soda, coffee, an honor bar for adult beverages and a chef plus 3-person crew to prepare 

delicious meals and tend the camp. 

This 3rd annual Baja BOW is offered in partnership with Green Edventures, an insured, U.S.-based company founded 

and run by CNR alumna Tara Short (BS Resource Management/Environmental Ed ’02). Tara has a decade of experience 

leading high school students and adults to remote places in Alaska, the Bahamas, and Mexico. 

For more information on the Baja BOW, visit the BOW website at www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/BOW. Check out video of 

the 2011 Baja BOW group on www.youtube.com; search for “women’s island adventure La Paz” to access a link to the 

video. 

Two Brothers Fly Fishing Cover 

Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Heitke


Highlights of new gifts and support 

• Veolia Environmental Services (Wisconsin Rapids/Chicago) – $10,000 ($5,000 to provide Veolia 

Environmental Services scholarships for five students in spring 2012; and $5,000 to support the CNR 

Special Projects Fund). 

• James & Joann Bernd (Waupaca, Wis.) $5,000 to support five spring 2012 awards for the James and 

Joann Bernd Family Scholarships. 

• Pauline Chandler (Keene, N.H.) $2,500 to establish the Pauline Chandler & Greg Chanis 

Environmental Education Endowment (first scholarship award in 2012). 

• Dorothy Kopmeier Vallier Foundation (Milwaukee, Wis.) $75,000 to provide support for the Vallier 

Treehaven Resident Ecologist position at Treehaven, currently held by Kevin Burns. 

• Helen R. Godfrey Estate - $94,294.65 to support Treehaven, Joanis Lake/Schmeeckle Reserve, and a 

new freshman scholarship endowment in Helen Godfrey’s name. 

• Gerald & Helen Stephens (Savannah, Ga.) two gifts totaling $137,449.75 to create the Doug Stephens 

Wildlife Research Fellowship endowment in support of the Boone & Crockett Chair of Wildlife Project. 

• Herb & Lenore Behnke Scholarship raised $19,355 through 40 gifts from 37 donors for this new 

scholarship endowment. The inaugural scholarship was awarded on Nov. 3, 2011. 

• Kopmeier Family Fund/Greater Milwaukee Foundation (Milwaukee, Wis.) $20,000 to support the 

Treehaven Inner City Environmental Program which provides outdoor experiences at the Treehaven 

field station for Milwaukee’s inner city youth. Fund representative William Kummer is a longtime 

benefactor of UW-Stevens Point and the College. 

• Gutgsell Family Foundation (River Forest, Ill.) $8,000 to initiate the Gutgsell Environmental 

Research Fund to support student research under the direction of Kyle Herrman (water resources). 

• Bill Sylvester memorials (Bill was an emeritus forestry faculty member who died August 2011). - 

$10,645 in memorial gifts for the William & Ruth Sylvester Endowment for Treehaven from 37 donors. 

• Established Christine and Stanton Thomas Natural Resources Leader Endowment (scholarship) 

- $9,550 in gifts to initiate the endowment, including a $5,000 gift from a close friend of the Thomas 

family. 

• Established the Daniel O. Trainer International Studies Scholarship Endowment - $10,000 in 

gifts in 2011. The inaugural scholarship was awarded spring 2012. 

• Established the Ray & Almut White Endowment - $55,023.58 in new support, including a $20,000 

initial gift from the Whites, plus a $35,023.58 transfer of assets from an existing fund at UW-Foundation 

in Madison. 

11

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 

College of Natural Resources 

800 Reserve Street 

Stevens Point, WI 54481-3897 

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 

Would you like to receive an electronic newsletter? Contact us at cnr@uwsp.edu 

Alumni Impact 

Fall 2012 

Non-profit 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Stevens Point, WI 

Permit 19 

There are two significant ways you can help us continue to be the nation’s leading 

undergraduate natural resource program. 

Make a gift. With decreasing levels of state support, your financial gift can provide 

the college with the support it needs to continue to produce the excellent graduates 

for which we are known. You can give online at www.uwsp.edu/givenow. 

If you would like to mail in a donation, please make checks payable to the 

“UW-Stevens Point Foundation - CNR” and send to: UW-Stevens Point Foundation, 

2100 Main Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481. If you have questions on giving please 

contact Steve Menzel at 715-346-2032 or Steve.Menzel@uwsp.edu. 

Share your story. We love to hear from our alumni! Hearing what you have been 

up to since graduation builds pride among our faculty, staff and students; helps 

us to obtain grants and gifts from other sources; and makes a fun addition to our 

newsletter. We have created an easy way for you to share your stories online at 

www.uwsp.edu/cnr under Alumni & Giving.

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